The Black Mirror
by xalent
Summary: Eight months had passed since Harry's meeting with Snape. Hermione sets off alone to retrieve the fourth Horcrux secretly while Harry and Ron recover from their wounds.
1. The Cave

**Author's note: **This is the first fanfic I wrote. I hope you enjoy it and I would appreciate your responces.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter. Just the copies of the books.

**Summary: **Half a year has passed since Alastor Moody tried to retrieve the fourth Horcrux and never returned. That day, Harry, Ron and Hermione got into an arguement that left their friendship shattered. Now, Hermione secretly sets off to retrieve the fourth and last Horcrux Harry needs to destroy to make Voldemort mortal again. However, Hermione does not know how dangerous the journey is to retrieve the Horcrux. Meanwhile Harry and Ron rest out their injuries from their latest excursion. They are completely oblivious to the task Hermione has set off to do and the dangers she will face.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Cave

* * *

Hermione looked down at Professor Moody's notes and then surveyed the surrounding area. The entrance to the cave lay somewhere in the vicinity. Hours had passed since she first set out to find this cave. It had been a sunny day in the afternoon of this cold winter day. Now it was near evening and Hermione still had no idea where the entrance to this cave lay.

She had been there before. It was half a year ago when Professor Moody first attempted to retrieve the fourth Horcrux alone. It was also his last. He walked in with a smile on his face, confident he would return; but he never did.

However, Hermione did not want to think any more about that day. Other things happened. One of which is the reason that brought her back to his cave. Alone.

She looked down at the notes again wondering if she missed anything like so many times before this day. This must have been the hundredth time. She had spent hours walking around in a small circle looking for the exact scene described in the notes, but with no luck.

_Maybe I should have brought someone along to help_. Hermione began to think. _Or just to keep me company. Professor Lupin would have been nice. Or Mr. Weasley. But none of the older members of the Order would agree to have her along. Victor would have come if she asked. But it would be best if… if—_

Hermione stopped short of finishing that thought and cursed herself for even thinking about Him. It was because of Him that she is here in this stupid forest. It was because of Him that she had to do this alone. That stupid idiot has caused her enough troubles for several lifetimes. She hated Him, yet she was doing this to prove something to Him.

The more she thought about Him, the more frustrated she became. Her aggravation grew quickly and hit its peak before she finally could force herself to stop thinking about Him. Still angry, Hermione found a nice spot by the base of a large tree to sit down. She kicked away the snow so she could sit without getting too wet. She set her small provision pack down along with Professor Moody's notes and then sat down. Hermione leaned back against the tree and looked up into the forest.

_How beautifully serene the trees looked_. Hermione thought. Their leaves move swiftly as the wind passes through. To them, as long as there are sunny days and rainy nights, there is nothing weighing them down. _How peaceful would it be to be like them? Will peace ever come?_

"Hermione," a voice called to her. She turned to see Him standing there with the same smile across his face she loved. "You think too much. Not to mention worry too much as well."

"If I don't think or worry, who is? The two of you certainly are able find your own resources, right?" She responded with a sarcastic tone and a smile on her face. "I mean, who am I kidding? The two of you can go to the library and sit for hours at a time searching book after book without falling asleep!"

"Oh, shush, Hermione. I get it. Without you the two of us could never get things done," he agreed as he leaned closer to Hermione. "But all I'm saying is there are times when you need to relax. Have fun. Live a little."

She felt his hand over the back of hers. It felt so warm and comfortable; and for one moment, all her worries and thoughts were gone. Her heart leaped and stomach somersaulted. She wondered if he felt the same way as he placed his other hand below her chin and lifted it up. Her heart raced even faster and the comfort and relaxation she felt before was now replaced by nervousness and anxiety. A part of her wanted to move, but she could not. She wanted to stay. He leaned closer and closed his eyes. Hermione did the same.

A sudden gust of cold wind made Hermione shiver and rub her arms. Where did he go? She suddenly thought as she looked around desperately. It was just a dream, but a dream she wished was reality as tears fell down her cheeks. She would be lying to herself if she said she did not want Him here. Hermione wanted Him to be here. She wanted Him to always be by her side as she would be by his. She let out a cry in pain and despair. Her love for Him tormented her poor heart as it ached in longing for his touch, his voice and his smile.

_This will all be over once I complete this cave!_ She thought with confidence. _Then we can be back together! _Hermione wiped her tears dry and stood up dusting off the dirt on her clothes. She looked over towards the west and could still see the sun. It is sunset. There is still time to find the entrance before it becomes too cold. She did not know how long she could continue in this weather. The temperature was dropping faster by the hour and by the looks of the clouds, she would say a storm was approaching.

Hermione quickly reached down for her pack and Professor Moody's notes when she felt a warm gust of air against the back of her hand. The notes had been turned back several pages, but something was different. On it was not the words describing where to find the entrance, but had a picture of some trees.

As she picked the notes up from the ground, the drawings began to fade and the words return. Hermione quickly blew a warm breath onto the page, but nothing happened. So she knelt down to the place where she felt the gust of warm air and lowered the notes.

Hermione waited patiently for the next gust of air, but the temperature was getting too cold. She was shivering so much that she could no longer hold the notes so she placed them on the ground. How much longer could she last? She thought. Then, the gust returned. She quickly matched the picture with her surroundings desperately and there, five meters to her left, she found what she was looking for.

Excitement pumped blood rapidly through her veins warming her up. She grabbed the notes and her provision pack and ran towards an odd shaped tree. A moment later, Hermione found herself standing before the cave entrance. Half a year had passed by and no one has ever made a second attempt at this cave. Until now.

* * *

Harry woke in his bed feeling horrible. Earlier this week, he and Ron barely escaped the wrath of Voldemort's Inferi. They were able to stop the Inferi's advance by setting half the fort on fire and collapsing it, but they had expected the other half to hold. The fort was standing as two halves to begin with so in theory, the two halves were standing by itself without the support of the other. Instead, it collapsed and buried them. 

Luckily, they were rescued shortly after the collapse because of the clock downstairs. However, the damage was done. The two had several broken bones ranging from the arms to the ribs and to the legs. They had just enough time during the collapse to take cover under a table to shield themselves which effectively reduced the damage.

If Hermione was there, this would not have happened. Harry knew this to be the truth. Neither he nor Ron could match her intelligence. She would have known exactly what to do stop the Inferi and keep the building from collapsing on them. However, after what happened half a year ago, Hermione had nearly cut off all communications with Harry and Ron. It was entirely Harry's fault and he knew that, but it has kept Hermione safe from all the dangers he and Ron faced. Hermione was always kept in the background or at Hogwarts while Harry and Ron fought in the front line.

But Harry could not deny the underlying fact that he missed Hermione. He missed her warmth. He missed her laughter. He missed her intelligence. Harry missed Hermione. Hundreds of times Harry just wanted to blurt out that he was sorry. That he missed her. That he wanted her there with him. However, the choice he made half a year ago still stands true. It was and still is the right thing to do. Harry never questioned that.

Harry sat up in his bed and looked over to his left. Ron's bed was empty. _Maybe he went for a walk or a drink_. He thought. After all, neither of them is allowed to leave their beds. Well, maybe Ron. He seemed to have taken less damage overall. He looked outside. It was getting near sunset, almost time for supper. Harry figured he mind as well walk downstairs and save the others the trouble of bringing food upstairs to serve to him.

The pains from his wounds were nearly gone, but the aching of sore muscles still remained. Harry walked down the hallway to the stairs and when he passed Hermione's room, he paused for a moment and peered in. No one was there. He walked in, like so many times before when she was away at Hogwarts, and looked around. It once was organized and neat. She is a daughter of two dentists after all. Now, books lay scattered across the room. Some open, others closed. Pages and pages of parchment were crumbled up and tossed in various corners of the room.

Harry knew he was to be blamed for this change. Ever since that day half a year ago, Hermione started to study feverously. No one really knew what she was studying since she charmed all her books. Just about everything in the room was charmed so that no one would know what she was doing. She probably knew that Harry is in her room at this moment.

Many times, when Harry stood in Hermione's room, he wanted to write down how sorry he was and take back what he had said. He wanted to write how much he missed her and how much he wanted them to be together again. But no. His stubbornness would not let him take a step back. Also, he did what was right.

Harry looked over to a picture frame she had placed face down. He had not seen it before. Hermione must have locked it away somewhere in the room. He flipped it up and for a moment, stood very still. It was a collage of pictures when the three of them were together. Unwanted tears found its way out of Harry's eyes and down his cheeks. He tried to hold them back, even tried blinking rapidly; but it did not help. Then Harry began to sob uncontrollably.

Harry missed Hermione.

* * *

Ron sat at the dining table snacking on some cookies when Ginny walked in. "Why are you back? Aren't you supposed to be in the dormitory at Hogwarts?" Ron questioned. 

"Well hello to you too." Ginny started with an unpleased tone. "I was just coming back to see how you two were doing. Plus I left some books in my room."

"Oh. We're doing fine. It's been four days since the fort fell on us. Where's mom and dad anyway?"

"Not sure. Might be doing some Order stuff," Ginny said as she walked up the stairs. Suddenly, she screamed out, "ARE YOU ALRIGHT HARRY!"

Ron fell out of his chair and bolted up the stairs. He dashed down the hall to his room before noticing Ginny in the entrance of Hermione's room. "Oh." Ron muttered with an indifferent attitude. He had thought something really bad happened. But it was just this. "I'll go get some tissue."

This has happened before. Several times. Ron just left Harry alone. He hated talking to Harry about Hermione. Mostly because the only thing they talk about is what happened half a year ago. That was a day Ron hated to talk about the most. It usually starts off with the "what if" questions and then it crescendos into a shouting match between him and Harry.

Ron loathed arguing with Harry. He loathed it just as much as he hated spiders. As he walked down the stairs, he saw Ginny help Harry out of Hermione's room and back into his. Ron continued down the stairs and searched the house for tissues.

After ten minutes of searching, Ron was only able to produce a box with two sheets left. Now he wished they did not have to use their handkerchiefs to light the fire that collapsed the fort. He did not dare touch any of the handkerchiefs lying around the house. Who knows what Fred or George did to them.

"What's taking so long?" Ginny asked as she entered the living room. "Harry's sleeves won't be able to hold anymore tears!"

"We're out." Ron said plainly. He held back his laugher knowing his sister would beat him to death if he had let it out. "Did you give him your handkerchief?"

"Yeah, but he went through that in a minute. You know, if Herm—"

"Yeah." Ron agreed bluntly not allowing his sister to finish.

"You didn't let me finish!" Ginny pouted.

"She could fix this right? Conjure a new handkerchief or dispel whatever Fred and George placed on the ones lying around the house? Yeah. However the hard truth is: SHE isn't here." Ron knew he was being a bit colder to Ginny than usual, but he did not want to talk about her.

"Geez. You two are so dense, you know that? This wouldn't be a problem if one of you wouldn't be so stubborn and just go talk to her!" Ginny stated angrily. She stomped over to Ron, snatched the tissues from the box, and stomped up stairs.

Ron just shrugged and went back to the kitchen to enjoy his cookies. As he sat down and shoved a cookie into his mouth, he noticed something strange about the clock. He got up from his seat and walked over. As he closed in to look, something shot out and hit him in the eye. "Aahh!" he let out a short cry. "Stupid Fred and George!" He started to walk towards their room to find the ointment that could remove this bruise when he remembered they gave it to Hermione a couple years back.

Ron walked up the stairs when he saw Harry walking out of his room. "What happened to you?" Harry asked wondering why Ron had his hand over his right eye. When Ron removed his hand, it gave Harry a good laugh.

"Ha, ha, ha." Ron laughed sarcastically. "Do you know where the ointment is?"

"Fred and George have it at their shop. Well, maybe…" Harry trailed off.

Ron knew exactly what Harry was referring to. "Yeah. I'll check there first."

* * *

Harry walked past Ron without another word as Ron walked into Hermione's room. Harry wanted to avoid another argument over Hermione with Ron. He went down stairs, but really had no idea where he was headed. He sat down at the kitchen table and took one of Ron's cookies. These cookies were good, but he wanted to snack on something else. Often times he wished the Weasley's would accept Harry's money. They are practically family now. 

As he reached for another cookie, he saw Ginny walk down the stairs. "Find your books?"

"Yeah. I'll be returning to Hogwarts now. It's good to know that both of you are well. Pass that to Ron will you?"

"Sure. Wait, how did you get here?" Harry asked. He wondered why he had not asked before.

"Floo powder. How else?" she replied as she jumped into the fireplace and shouted, "The Three Broomsticks!"

"Oh, right." Harry murmured, remembering it is the third weekend of this month. Then Ron came down the stairs. His right eye was still black. "Not there?"

"Nope. Going to check Fred and George's room. They might have something there. If not, I'll go visit them."

Harry nodded as he took another cookie. It was then that Harry really took notice at the rift that had formed between him and his best friend. They were nearly inseparable. Now, they avoid long conversations because of the fear they would start shouting again because of Hermione.

Harry grabbed one more cookie before walking back upstairs. Just as he reached his bed, he heard the cracking sound of apparition. Then tears began to fall again.

Harry missed Hermione.


	2. The Nightmare

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just copies of the books.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Nightmare

* * *

Hermione held her wand in one hand and her notes in another. In these notes, she had mapped out how to get past each chamber of the cave and which ones to enter. She knew she was near the end of this cave. She pushed the last switch which started a chain reaction with the other switches. Some moved up while others moved down. When it ended, all the switches were level and the bridge to the door she wanted to reach lowered. 

As she crossed the bridge, she noticed that there were two roads up ahead. Not one. Hermione quickly went to her notes but after one flip, her notes ended. Could it be possible that Professor Moody never finished his notes? She asked herself. She pulled out his notes and skimmed through to find out about the two diverging paths. As she suspected, his notes trail off after the bridge. The last words were, "Note for the last door: the clue is 'what gives off light'."

Hermione read it a couple times, but could not figure out what it meant. So, she continued to walk across the bridge. As she reached the fork, she looked down one end and saw only darkness. On the other end, she saw light at the end of the tunnel. She walked over to get a better look and saw four torches hung over a figure. Then immediately she recognized the figure as Professor Moody!

She stepped forward and cried out, "Prof—" but stopped. As soon as her foot touched the ground, the air around her suddenly became cold. Hermione looked around, wondering what was causing it. She looked down the corridor and saw various cubes of ice. Inside the cubes were different insects and small critters. It made her wonder that in this corridor, the further you walk, the colder it becomes. To test that theory, she pointed her wand at a small nearby rock and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!" The rock floated up into the air and moved forward as Hermione willed it to.

As the rock moved further down the path, a coat of frost started to form around the rock. Then a sheet of ice formed. She continued until the rock reached the professor. By then, she had proved her theory true and the ice around the rock was as big as one of the torches.

Hermione turned around and headed down the path of darkness. No matter how many times she waved her wand, the darkness remained. She continued to walk until a dim light appeared. As she reached the source of the light, she found a stone tablet that read: "Arrange these ten marbles into five rows of four."

Next to her feet lay ten round marbles and a circle. _What gives off light?_ She asked herself reciting the last words in Professor Moody's notes. A torch or a fire was the obvious answers, but neither could help her make five rows of four. With twenty marbles, this would be possible, but she is only given half the amount. For minutes, Hermione pondered about objects that give off light. She looked down at the circle again. Then it hit her.

She knew exactly what the clue was referring to. Hermione knelt down and quickly arranged the marbles inside the circle. When she finished, the door opened and she smiled with delight. She walked in confident this was over leaving Professor Moody and her notes behind. Hermione walked to the end of the room where a black mirror hung. This was it. The fourth Horcrux.

* * *

Harry's tears fell uncontrollably. Lately, Harry had been loosing people close to him. People whom he cared about immensely. His parents. Sirius. Dumbledore. Cedric. Cho. And now, Hermione. How many more will Harry lose or push away before this is all over? No. He will not lose anyone anymore. He will not allow people close to him be taken away. He had to change; change so he no longer pushed people away. He will make sure they were all by his side and vowed no one would die as long as he lives. 

Suddenly, an eerie feeling surged though his body sinking his heart and made his stomach cringe. Harry's tears dried in seconds, but the feeling remained. He looked outside and noticed a broom gone. How long has it been since Ron left? Ten minutes? Twenty? No. Longer.

Harry leaped out of bed and bolted down the stairs. He turned at the end of the staircase and into the kitchen to face the clock. He found Ron's hand quickly and it pointed to 'Errand'. His heart relaxed as he sighed in relief. Then Harry noticed one hand that was stuck midway between 'Home' and 'School'. With a closer examination, he found a small pin holding the hand back. So he opened the glass casing and pulled the pin out. Once free, the hand moved clockwise towards 'School'.

Harry turned over to the dining table and found a couple cookies still left on the plate. He grabbed one and put it into his mouth as he walked towards the stairs. When he reached the stairs, Harry glanced back to check if everything was okay. It was not. The hand had moved past 'School' and headed towards 'Work'.

_She didn't have work_, he thought to himself as he walked back to the clock. But the hand did not stop at 'Work'. It continued going. There was only one place left that the hand could point to unless it circled back around. Mortal Danger.

Harry rushed upstairs, took a left and went straight into her room. After a few moments, he jumped down the flight of stairs and rushed to the front door. Harry broke through the front door and rushed for his broom. _She's in DANGER_! He cried out in his mind. He ran past the broom stand, grabbed his broom, kicked off into the air while mounting and flew towards the portkey. He will not lose anyone anymore else because of his incompetence to control his anger. He will not lose anyone anymore because of his foolishness. He will take back his friends he lost along the way and protect them until the day he dies.

The Burrow now stood empty and alone. Everyone had left to do what they had to do. In the kitchen, the clock stood silently. It did not tick unless a hand was moving. None were. Then a gust of wind blew through the house and closed the glass casing Harry had left open. It slammed shut and shook the clock slightly, but just enough to shake free the rest of the pins. Harry had not seen them all, nor did he ever think there would be more than one. The clock ticked ending the silence. Most of the hands stayed the same, but a couple moved to its true designation.

* * *

Hermione screamed as pain surged through her body. _How stupid of her_, she thought. There was no way removing the Horcrux could be as easy as taking it off the wall. How sad that the brightest Gryffindor would be so foolish to not think before acting? _Stupid Gryffindor bravery_, she cursed. 

The pain surged again. This time a hundred times worse. Hermione fell. Her eyes closed. Darkness surrounded her. She was falling. Or drowning. Hermione could not tell which. She could not tell how long. Finally, she touched ground.

Hermione opened her eyes. She was laying face down on the floor. Darkness still surrounded her. Then, a bubble emerged from nowhere. She turned to focus on it and found a memory playing inside of it. It was a memory of the day half a year ago. Hermione raised her wand and said, "Obliterate!" The bubble popped, but the memory still remained in her mind. More bubbles emerged. Some of them were of memories she cherished, others were ones she wished she could forget. With each wave of her wand, another bubble of unwanted memories popped.

Suddenly, the bubbles disappeared. Hermione was back into the darkness again. She began to sink again. Again, she could not tell how long she fell. This time, when she touched the ground, she was on her feet.

She opened her eyes and she stood in her home. Hermione looked around and someone stood behind her. But before she could make out who the person is, two adults rushed down stairs. A man and a woman. They opened up their arms to hug her, but she just raised her wand. "Avada Kedavra." She spoke out coldly.

The man fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. The woman screamed and looked at Hermione in shock. "Why?" was all the woman could get out.

"He's dead mom. So are you. Avada Kedavra." A green streak shot from her wand and hit the woman square in her chest. She too fell to the ground limp and lifeless.

"Congratulations, my love. Come, we have much to do." A voice spoke behind her. She could tell he was very pleased. However, she also felt pleasure at the deaths of her own parents. These were her first murders. This was the first time she took life. She felt happy.

"Yes, My Lord," Hermione answered as she turned and walked to the Dark Lord. She smiled as she looked up to face the Dark Lord.

"Call me Voldemort, my love," he said as he brushed his hand through her hair. "From this day forth, Hermione Granger is dead." He waved his wand and she felt something inside of her change. "You are now reborn, free from the ties to these Muggles. Rise, Lady Voldemort, accept your name and use it to strike fear around the world! Accept your name and your new pure blood and stand with me on top of this world!"

NOOOOO! Hermione screamed in her mind. This is not what she wanted! Or was it? She screamed, but nothing came out. She wanted to raise her wand and fire a spell at Voldemort, but she could not move. She wanted to kill herself.

Together, they walked outside where hundreds of Death Eaters waited. "Hear me my friends! This here is Lady Voldemort! Wife and the woman who will give birth to one of my heirs." The crowd cheered. Hermione lifted her chin and smiled. She was filled with happiness, pride, satisfaction. The list went on.

Her eyes closed again. Darkness returned. But she did not fall. She rose.

The next moment she was awake, she lay naked beneath a thin dark green sheet of silk. The edges were laced beautifully with silver embroidery. Then she remembered what had happened just moments before. Hermione remembered exactly how her Lord touched her. She remembered every movement of how her Lords rough hands moved across her soft delicate skin. She loved how he caressed her. Then there was his kiss! Oh how immensely breathe taking when her Lords lips touched hers. Her Lord is an excellent kisser.

Her Lord was also well versed in foreplay. He knew exactly where to kiss her on her nape that made her entire body loosen and relax completely. He knew exactly where to touch her to arouse her. However, her Lord was an even better partner in bed. She remembered every movement, every position and even how long they spent interlocked. Hermione smiled at those memories. Well, her Lord had six wives before her. It would be a wonder if he learned no tricks by the time of his seventh wife.

This is lust. Hermione did not deny it. She knew that her Lord did not see her any more than a sex object and a tool to give him his seventh heir. She respected that. She was not foolish to want more. Nor was she foolish enough to think that just by giving her Lord a son would she gain the position as his Queen. No. That was a position you had to fight for. Several of his wives died by his hands thinking they were already Queen. No. The Queen was only given to the one wife who could raise an heir worth enough to be called his heir.

Hermione will become her Lord's Queen. She will raise her son worthy enough to receive praise from her Lord. She will raise her son to be worthy of his title as Prince. When she did, she knew her task was done and did not care if she died afterwards. Whether murdered by another wife or just old age, it did not matter. Once she reached the status as her Lords Queen, she will live forever through time while her Lord ruled this cursed Earth and her son as her Lords right hand man.

Hermione knew she would bear a son. She knew she is pregnant. Her Lord cared not for daughters and made sure he will _only _have male offspring. Her Lord never made mistakes. However, Hermione made one fatal mistake once. She fell in love. Love is a mistake. She did not love the son she will give birth to. Nor will Hermione ever. She will protect him, no doubt, but will always pit him with death. Surviving each and every attempt on his life will hone his senses. She will not spoil him as the other wives did, or other Death Eaters who had taken charge of the sons of the dead wives.

Hermione will never teach her son to love. She knew exactly how. She smiled and congratulated herself for coming up with such a demonic plan to infuse her son with hatred. She will show him how much a mistake it is to ever love exactly as He had shown her when she loved Him. It was an error of her past. One that she will correct once her son is born into this world.

_Him?_ Hermione thought. It broke her out of her previous state of mind and returned her to the darkness. She loved Him! How could she ever betray Him? She will continue to love him until the end of time! Hermione puked when she realized what she had in mind to exact revenge on Him. Then she screamed. She screamed as loud as she could. This time her voice came out. But the darkness still remained. The darkness still engulfed her. Hermione swung her wand sending out spells in various directions. She was screaming. She was crying. She was scared. She wanted Him to be here. He would make everything right.


	3. Redemtion

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just copies of the book.

* * *

Chapter 3: Redemtion

* * *

He flew through the rain as fast as he could. Usually he hated flying in the rain, but this time he welcomed it. It hid his tears as it streamed down his cheeks. Just a few moments ago, he exited a portkey, one that lead from the Burrows to the edge of Germany's Black Forest. He rode a Firebolt, _the_ fastest broom in the wizard world, but even then did he feel that the broom was going too slow. He needed to go faster! Much faster! Hermione was in danger. She needed him. She would not be able to make it out alive without him. And he needed her. He missed her.

Earlier, he had gone into her room and noticed several key books missing. Although she had charmed up the entire room, he knew her far too well to not know what she was researching. He also knew exactly how to uncover the words and where to find her notes. The cave. It was filled with hundreds of deadly traps and puzzles and only the sharpest of minds could every have the slightest chance of disarming all of them.

He knew something was wrong immediately when he did not see her notes in the usual spot. Even the original copy of Professor Moody's notes that she had stolen was gone. No one knew it was stolen. A near perfect copy of the notes were made. He knew the secret of the notes, but he never told Hermione. He wondered if she had figured it out. _Stupid me_, he thought. _Who am I kidding? With Hermione's mind, it would only take her minutes to figure it out._

That means she had entered the cave. Curse his stupid mouth. Why couldn't he say something without first thinking it through? It was his fault Hermione was in the cave. It was his fault they were separated. He knew it was his fault. He knew she blamed him. He knew she was there just to prove him wrong. He knew she resented him now. This was all his fault. Blame lay solely on his shoulders.

He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth. Every minute it ate at him. However, all this time he had convinced himself that this was the right thing to do. Had it been any other girl, this would have been the right thing to say and do. But this is Hermione. It wasn't. It never was. It had been wrong from the beginning. Now he flew to redeem himself. He flew to correct the mistake of his stupidity and stubbornness.

That foolish girl was just as stubborn. She really believes she could tackle that cave alone. She is wrong. There is one thing that can beat the cave. He knew what it was. Few did. Most of them are Death Eaters. In fact, he was the only one who knew that isn't a Death Eater.

He dove down the mountain side over the forest. The rain had now become snow. Although it blocked his vision, it did not matter. He knew the exact path to the cave. He had been there hundreds, no, thousands of times before. He could fly there blindfolded. Every time Hermione's notes were missing, he went. Every time Hermione wasn't at the school, he went. Every time Hermione wasn't home in the Burrow, he went. Every time he had spare time, he went. Yes. The cave _is_ that dangerous. Even if Hermione could get past every trap and puzzle in that cave, which he had little doubt Hermione had already did, the last puzzle and trap is one no one has solved.

No one had solved it except for the creator. He just heard the solution. But he never tried it. Hundreds of times had he stood before the cave entrance doubting that he had the ability to do it. That alone convinced him he was not ready. For a Gryffindor, he was a coward. But after what happened to Professor Moody, any Gryffindor would be cautious before this cave.

He pushed the broom to fly harder, but it didn't. The Firebolt was flying at its maximum output. Apparating was not an option because of all the detectors that had been placed there since Professor Moody's attempt.

_Stupid girl!_ He cursed at Hermione again. But he knew she is far from stupid. _Stubborn girl!_ He corrected himself. The cave was not one that could be tackled alone, even **IF** you knew exactly how to pass each and every trap and puzzle.

Suddenly, he was engulfed in fire. Luckily his Quidditch reflexes, he was able to partially evade the attack. However, he was still hit. His robes were burning as he fell through the sky. As for the Firebolt, it was no more than a burnt broom now. That was a gift from Sirius, his—

He stopped that train of thought and focused more on the problems at hand. He was falling through the sky. There was no stopping him from splashing into the ground. Well, none that he could think of. No. There has to be a way! He turned so he could look down at the ground. All he saw was a snow covered forest. Then, he found his solution. He brought out his wand and quickly weaved several spells.

_This is going to hurt like hell!_ He thought. _But at least I'll put out the fire in the process!_ He put his wand away and shifted his body so he could catch as much wind as he can. Then, he tilted his head down and dove at his target: a giant ball of snow. He shot through one end of the ball and out the other, but at a greatly decreased velocity. He hit the ground and rolled a couple times. His body ached and some of his previous wounds opened up again. _They are going to kill me for this stunt_… he thought to himself.

A streaming jet of red flew past his ear before he remembered someone had attacked him. He drew his own wand and shouted, "Stupefy!" It missed. The enemy was good. Really good. He got up off the ground and ran for cover. A second spell shot past his right shoulder. He turned around and shouted, "Conjunctivitis!" Must have been really lucky that shot since a Death Eater fell out of cover and wriggled on the ground. Without hesitating, he shouted, "Crucio!" The Death Eater twisted in pain.

After a few more twists and turns, he walked over to the Death Eater, froze him, snatched the wand from his hand and placed it into a hidden wand compartment Fred and George invented. It was attached onto his back and stays completely hidden even to magical scanning devises.

He continued on foot towards the cave. He ran as fast as he could. He was not far. He could see it. But then a spell hit him. He froze where he stood. "Did you really think that there would be only one of us guarding this cave?" a familiar but despicable voice spoke out. "This is the result of the foolish Gryffindor courage, I suppose. The Mudblood's in there right now. She got through most of the traps and puzzles as expected. But now she's cringing in pain, twisting and turning frantically like the man you place under the torture spell. However, I do believe that the Mudblood is suffering far worse. To perform an "Unforgivable Curse", you must mean every bit of harm you do."

The Death Eater now stood a few feet before him. His blood boiled, but there was nothing he could do. The Death Eater smiled. "Yes, to perform an "Unforgivable Curse", one must mean every bit of pain he inflicts," a new voice entered. He couldn't recognize the voice, but from the Death Eater's calm face, he could tell it was another Death Eater. "Crucio!" He braced for pain, but someone else screamed.

It was the Death Eater that stood before him. _An ally in this place?_ He asked himself. The only ally he had was now dead. Although he did not particularly like that ally, he did not wish for his death either. "Expelliarmus!" the new voice said. "Selincio. There. I doubt you could inflict much harm without anything, but I can't take any chances with you. Avada Kedavra." A green jet shot at the Death Eater and hit him right above the heart.

He did not know if he should be scared or relieved. Then, his savior walked into his line of vision. _A DEATH EATER!_ He screamed in his mind. They were the last people he expected to save him from another Death Eater. Now he was scared. The Death Eater grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against a tree. He then ripped of his mask revealing the face beneath. DRACO MALFOY! He screamed in his head again.

"Yes, I am still alive. But it would be best if no one knows I still live ever again. I will free you in a moment, but you must promise me something," Draco spoke in a threatening tone. He tried his best to agree to the promise, but Draco understood. "Save her." This surprise him. "Save Hermione. Save her and take her as far as you can from this war. Save her and find a place to live peacefully. This war will be over soon. When peace comes, you can return to your family. Until then, promise me you will keep her safe. Safe from this war. Safe from harm. Safe from ever being hurt again."

He looked into Draco's teary eyes and understood how serious Draco is. Draco was practically begging him to save Hermione. What caused this, he would never know. When Draco dried his tears, Draco unfroze him and let him and released his grip. "I promise, Malfoy," he responded as he walked past the ally he thought had died. He grabbed the Nimbus 2001 and flew off towards the cave.

* * *

Draco Malfoy watched as his friend flew off with his broom. Draco knew if there was anyone who could save Hermione from the state she was in now, it would be him. They never were really friends before. They hated each other, but half a year ago, they found a common ground and reluctantly became friends. However, Draco never regretted the friendship. 

Draco turned to face the Death Eater he killed while impersonating another. He kicked the body and spat at its face. Then, he pulled off the mask. "The killing curse never fails," he began as he took a seat next to the dead body. "You should have made sure I was dead before leaving my body to rot. I told you if you didn't kill me I would return and bite you back in the ass. And so I did. Why couldn't you let me save Hermione? Why couldn't I save a friend when you can save yours? Then again, I suppose the answer is simple. She's a Muggle born and an enemy. Well, at least she was saved that time by Harry and Ron. She did not like it though. I suppose that was better. She doesn't know I'm an ally. Not then. Not now."

Draco reached into the dead Death Eater's robes and removed a case of cigars. He took one out, cut the tip and lit it. "I suppose you are wondering in Hell about where I am. Or maybe you know and are told that it is I who killed you. You probably think this is for revenge, which is true. But you do not know for what. Well, I'll tell you. I hated your dreams. I hated how you believed Voldemort so blindly. I hated how you gave up your life, wife and son just for power. I hated how you placed the burden of not achieving your dreams onto me. I don't want your dreams. I don't want your ambitions. I want to live my life as I chose and spend time with a father l loved. You denied me those two simple wishes, Lucius. I will not become who you became, Lucius. This is a promise. Now that you are dead, as am I, we have cast the family of Malfoy into oblivion."

From his neck, he ripped a golden necklace with a small plate and tossed it onto the ground next to the dead Death Eater. With a wave of his wand, he cut some wood from the trees and with another wave, he stacked the wood on top of the body. He stood up and took a photo from his pocket and lit it on fire with his cigar. Then he tossed it into the pile of wood and watched it burn. He smiled and said, "The Malfoy name ends with you, Lucius. I have long since cast away the name I was given when I was born. I've given a lot of time and thought into my new name. Most people who knew me as Draco Malfoy would die in laugher of the irony of the name. Goodbye, Lucius. I hope you enjoy your afterlife."

* * *

Hermione woke again. She was exhausted. Her body ached. She wondered if she was still sane. At one point, her body had become numb from the pain. However, the numbness did not last. A few minutes later the pain returned. She tried to stand, but was too tired. She wanted to stand. She wanted to escape. She wanted Him here. But then she felt her consciousness falter. Hermione was falling again. She wanted to swim up! She just wished He would reach into the darkness and pulls her out. Her eyes closed and she her consciousness was lost. 

Hermione opened her eyes again. She heard the soft cry of her son. She smiled. This is the heir of her Lord. "Hush, Adelais. We're almost there." She sat in the back of a horse carriage as it brought her and her child to a secluded area. She looked up and she could see her destination. She smiled. The Burrows. He was there. She could see Him pacing back and forth nervously on the porch. "Driver, you may stop here," she said to the driver. When the carriage stopped, she stepped out and smiled at Him.

At first, he stared wide eyed in surprise. He ran to her before he stopped a few steps before her. He shook his body a bit before looking at her and asking, "What are you—" He never finished before he was under her control. Hermione smiled. She had improved the Imperius spell. She knew He could easily break free of the original Imperius so she developed an improved version. Only two people know of its existence. Hermione and her Lord. They also knew how to break free from the curse. There will be a third person to know how to use this curse: her Lord's next right hand man. That person is who the baby in Hermione's arms will become.

Together, she walked with Him to the porch. She stayed while force Him to walk into the house alone. The house was silent at first; then it was filled with screams. Hermione was laughing with joy and decided to walk into the house. Blood painted the once beautiful house. She preferred how it looked now. She found Him standing in the middle of the living room. She could see some of them tried to run. Others tried to hide. But they were all dead now. He had stabbed them all to death. With the exception of one, but that was purposely done.

"Painful, isn't it?" Hermione asked Him. "You love them, don't you? Well, now they are all dead. All stabbed to death by your own hands. I will let you decide what to do with whatever life you have left." She turned and walked over to a hidden closet. "As for you, Ginny, you will come with me," she said with a commanding voice compelling the youngest red head to come out of hiding. "If you do as I say, you will live, understand?" she said with a sinister smile. Ginny just nodded. "Good. Now follow."

Together, they walked out of the blood painted Burrow and back to the carriage. Hermione had Ginny enter the carriage first as she watched the Burrows a bit longer. Then, the house erupted into a giant blue flame. She smiled as she looked down at her son and said, "Adelais, imprint this day into your memory. Never forget it. Well, I do suppose you're too young to remember, but no worries." She entered the carriage with the help of her servants.

"Lady Voldemort, to which destination do you desire to go?" the driver asked. The surprise and horror that showed on Ginny's face made Hermione laugh.

"To our castle at once. I have a present I wish to give to my Lord that I think will please him very much." With a crack of the whip, the carriage moved. Hermione smiled. She had her revenge and she enjoyed every bit of it!

* * *

He reached the cave entrance and dismounted the Nimbus 2001. He ran inside and looked to his left. He searched carefully as he drew his wand. Then he found it. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he said as he pointed at a rock. Then he guided the rock to press a hidden switch Draco had told him about a week before his death. Draco wished to remain dead and for good reason, but that was a thought for another time. He heard a click and a set of stairs lowered before him. He took the stairs up and found himself before two diverging paths. One led to light; the other led to darkness. Without thinking, he ran into the darkness. 

One day he will have to thank Draco for saving his life. He will also have to thank Draco for giving him the confidence he needed to cast away all his doubts. This was the only way he could save Hermione. They both knew it, but there was only one of them that could possibly pull this off. It was him, not Draco. He knew exactly why as he ran down the dark corridor until he saw a feint glow of light up ahead.

When he reached the light, he could see Hermione. "Hermione!" he screamed with all his breath. She did not hear him. As he got closer, he could see she had slashes all over her body. She must have been in there for hours! He wished he could have come here earlier. He ran faster, but then he suddenly crashed into a wall. He hit the ground and rubbed his forehead. It hurt, but he was far more worried about Hermione. "Hermione!" he cried out again as he banged his fist against the wall. She still could not hear him.

He punched the invisible wall and screamed her name again and again. Then he heard her scream as she slashed herself again. He cringed and felt the pain. He took a few steps back, charged at the wall and slammed his shoulder against it. He hit the ground again, but the wall did not budge. He watched and cried as Hermione screamed in pain, agony, loneliness and despair.

He had said those things to her half a year ago to prevent her from ever entering this cave. However he knew his plan backfired the moment he saw the response in her eyes that day. It tore him to pieces that he believed he had done the right thing. He always doubted the decision, but never said a word. This is all his fault. He collapsed to his knees. She will die because of his stupidity.

No. She will not die! He raised his wand and shouted the first spell that came to mind. The wall just absorbed it. He shot a second spell. A third. Fourth. He continued to cast spells until he ran out of spells to try next. _If only the wall could absorb him as it did all the other spells_, he thought. He fell to his knees again. Despair swarmed him and his body became weak. But he did not give up. Hermione was still alive and needs to be saved. Draco said he was the only—

Then he remembered something Draco said that did not make sense to him before. Now it made perfect sense. He cast away his wand and drew the wand he had taken from the Death Eater he tortured. He raised it and whispered an incantation. Then he pushed the wand against the wall and it rippled like water as the wand sank through.

* * *

Hermione woke up again. This time she was not surrounded in darkness. It was quite the opposite. She was surrounded in light. Light that originated from the fire around her. She stood up, but quickly fell over and puked. She remembered what she had done just moments earlier. Wait. Had she done what she thinks she did? She looked around and saw dead bodies scattered around. Most of them were stabbed until they were unrecognizable. 

Yes she had. Hadn't she? If she had, why would she be here in the fire herself. Fire? Then she looked around once more. Then, she found the person she was looking for hanging from a noose. "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. What had she done? What had she made Him do? She let out another scream. She fell to the ground. Tears fell uncontrollably and her sobbing did not stop. Pain, anger, sorrow, agony, fear, hatred and despair flowed through her body. When she opened her eyes, she found a knife on the ground. It was soaked in blood. This was the knife she had Him use to kill everyone.

_What a fitting end_, she thought as she grasped the knife. She lifted it above her head and smiled. This will all be over. She swung the knife downwards.

* * *

"YOU STUPID FOOL!" He shouted as loud as he could, but she didn't stop. So he did the first thing that came to his mind. He shot out his left hand and let the knife stab through his hand. He then used all his force to yank the knife free of her grasp. It hurt more than having the entire Fort fall on his back, but at least this time he was doing something stupid to save someone else. No, not just any someone else, he was saving Hermione Granger. He was willing to sacrifice just about anything for her life. The only exception was his own life because he would never hear the end of it from Draco. He had to save her life and live for her sake. He will not leave her alone in this world again. Not when she is in so much pain. Not with her in this state. 

He pulled out the knife and tossed it aside. "Hermione!" he called out to her again. This time he could see a feint response. He was finally reaching her.

* * *

Hermione fell into the darkness again. The flames were gone. So were the bodies. She was falling again. She had failed to kill herself. Why couldn't this nightmare just end! She wished He was here. He would make everything go away. He would make everything right. Then she heard a feint voice cry out something she could not make out. She focused her mind onto the voice as it cried out once more. "Hermione!" it cried. 

Was someone calling her? "Wake up!" there was the voice again. It was so familiar. "Hermione, don't give up!" Where had she heard the voice before? "Don't ever lose hope!" Then she saw a glimmer of light. It shined like a star in the night sky. It blinked again like a star would twinkle. "Hermione!" the voice was louder now. Strength was returning to her. She could move. "Hermione!" she could almost remember the voice, but it was still to feint. She had to get closer. So she swam. She swam towards the star that shined in the darkness around her.

As she got closer, the voice became louder. The star grew larger. The coldness of the darkness faded and she finally felt warmth. Then, she jolted forward as if someone had pulled her close. She felt the warmth of a body beside her.

"Hermione," he spoke softly, "Everything will be alright. I'm here now. I'm here beside you. From this day forth, we shall be together forever. I'm sorry for saying those things to you. This is all my fault. I'm sorry for hurting you. I'm sorry for shutting you out. I'm sorry. Will you ever forgive me?" Tears now poured down his face. He waited for her to respond, but she did not. Louder, he continued, "I miss you, Hermione. I miss your touch. I miss your smile. I miss your laugh. I miss everything about you, Hermione. Wake up. Wake up and come back to me. Please! I want to hug you again. I want to kiss you on your lips once more. I want to love you like I never did before." He knew he was ranting, but he didn't care. As long as he could hear him, he didn't care. "Yes. I love you, Hermione. I always have. I always will. Come back to me. I need you in my life. You are the flame of my soul. You are the light that destroys the darkness that surrounds me. Let me be the same. Let me love you, Hermione. Let me love you once more. Let us be together again."

He was now sobbing uncontrollably. He did not even try to wipe his tears away. They fell like rain onto the ground. "You're such a crybaby," a feint voice spoke. "And your ranting never stops." Oh how wonderful he felt when he heard that voice. He felt so wonderful that nearly all his tears went away.

"Stupid woman!" he cursed at Hermione, "have you any idea how stupid coming into this cave is?"

"Do you know how stupid you are for coming all the way here to save me?"

"No," he answered as he pulled away. "But I don't care. I came her for you, Hermione. I came her because I love you."

Hermione smiled. She was right. He did make all this go away. He touch, voice and smile made all her hesitation, doubt and fear disappear. "I love you too, Ron." The darkness around them shattered and revealed a small chamber where a crystal mirror was kept. That was the real fourth Horcrux. That was the real mirror of Ravenclaw. This quest was finally over.

Hermione turned back to Ron whose eyes never left her. She lowered her head in embarrassment but Ron lifted her chin up. They were now looking into each others eyes. Ron leaned forward. Hermione did the same. Their lips met and a single tear found its way down each of their cheeks. Finally, they were together. Finally, they could love. Finally, they found happiness.


End file.
